Eoy stone



(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. STONE.

HYDRAULIC EXGAVATING MACHINE.

No. 316,497. Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

N. PETERS. mo-Lnhn n lwr. Washingm 0.6.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

R. STONE HYDRAULIC EXGAVATING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

N. PETERS, Photu-Lilhoznpher. wawin tm. ac.

(No Model.)

5 SheetsSheet 4. R. STONE.

HYDRAULIC EXGAVATING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 28; 1885.

iv. PETERS. Pmwunw n mr. Wilhllglun. 0.4:.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-+Shet 5.

R. STONE. I

HYDRAULIC EXCAVATING MACHINE. No. 316,497. Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

.. the other parts of the apparatus.

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Unrrnn Smarts Parent @rrrca.

RoY STONE, NEwYonK, N. Y.

HYDRAULIC ExcAvATlNe-MAol-HNE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316A97, dated April 28, 1885.

ka a-anon (ma April 3, 1882. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, RoY STONE, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Hydraulic Excavating Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement upon the devices for which Letters Patent No. 224,309 were granted to me February 10, 1880.

In the excavation of phosphaterock, such as is found in Charleston harbor, the surface is quite hard,and forms a layer of about one foot in thickness. My present apparatus is made with special reference to the breaking up of this surfacelaycr and conveying the same up the inductiontube, as well as for excavating the loose and easily-disintegrated materials below such layer. My improvements are also available in the excavation of other materials, and the machine may be used as a whole in theform herein described, or it may be con structed with some of the present features of improvement and without others, or some appliances may be removed and others substituted, according to the character of the ma terials operated upon.

In the drawings, Figure l is a general plan of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the floats and upper part of the inductiontube. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the floats and sluice. Fig. 4 is aplan of the sluice, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section, the parts being oflarger size than those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is an elevation in larger size of the lower end of the induction-tube, and Fig. 7 is a plan of the same. Fig. 8 is an end view of the floats. The other figures are separately referred to.

The floats AAare of suitable size to support These floats are connected together by timbers a a and by flooring a at the deck, and by flooring a below the water-line at the central space between the iioats, forming a sluiceway. these floats are to be suitable boilers and engines or other sources of power for actuating the various portions of the machinery. These engines and boilers are not showniu the drawings; but I have represented the gearing and pulleys receiving motion and actuating the faces of the floats in the Upon sluiceway there are sillsb b, firmly bolted and provided with rails forming upper and lower tracks, 0 c, for the Wheels 0", that are upon axles c that cross from one side tov the other of the sluiceway and have their journal-boxes or bearings in the sides at of the movable sluice D. The bottom (1 of this sluice is planked and provided with the required timhers to make a strong sluice-boX open at thejfio top and at the back end, and the front end is open, or partially so, for receiving the upper end of the induction-tube E.

This sluice is provided with racks d upon its upper edges, into which gear the toothed wheels e, upon a cross-shaft, e, the bearings of which are upon the floats, and such shaft 6 and gear-wheels can be revolved by suitable power, so as to roll the sluice D in either direction upon its tracks 0, and the upper tracks, 0, prevent the back end of the sluice tipping up if the sluice is projected at the forward end as far as to overbalance the back end. A con venient device for moving the gear-wheels is a bevel-pin, e constantly rotated by the driving-power, and the shaft of this pinion is sup ported in a bearing upon a lever, 0 so that by moving the pinion it may be brought into gear with either bevel-gearc or c, and through their shaft and pinion e revolve the gearwheels 6 in either one way or the other, and either project the sluice and induction tube forward against the material to be excavated or withdraw the same,'as required from time to time.

At the forward end of the sluice there is a cross bearing-beam with a socketf, receiving a vertical pin, upon which the induction-tube E can be swung horizontally, and between the top of this pivot-pin and the tube E there is a hinged joint, f, that allows the lower end of the tube to be raised or lowered. The excavated material is carried up this inductiontube E, as in my aforesaid patent, and it is delivered into the sluice D.

According to the character of the materials being excavated, so the details of this sluice are made in one form or another.

\Vhe're all the'coarser materials coming up the inductioirtube'are to be saved, they are delivered upon the sluice and carried back by the rush of water to the elevator G, that raises them up and delivers them into a scow or other receptacle. This elevator G is preferably an endless apron over the rollers or heads 9 g, to the upper one of which the propelling-power is communicated. The elevator-apron is preferably made of tubes, with chains at the edges, as shown in the drawings, Figs. 9 and 10, the, pivot-rods of the flat links of the chains passing through the tubes. This will allow sand, mud, and fine materials to wash-through the elevator, and the pieces of phosphate rock or other material will be carried up on the elevator. Buckets will usually be employed upon such elevator, the same being formed of wood: en or metal slats, g", bolted to the tubes by strap-bolts.

The stationary flooring between the floats extends to the elevator, and the bottom roller of the elevator is below the same, so that the material passes from the floor a directly upon this elevator, and there will be usually a shoe piece or flap, a hinged to the floor a at its end, and resting upon the inclined elevator to prevent any pieces rolling back under the floor and dropping from the elevator. This flap at its outer end simply rests upon the surface of the elevator, and such elevator is moved along beneath the same.

The rush of water through the sluiceway might wash the materials toward the edges of the elevator-apron and portions be lost. To

avoid this I employ the stationary deflectors g, placed diagonally near the ends of the floor a to concentrate the material near the middle of the elevator. These deflectors g are not as high as the water is deep, so that the water may pass freely over such deflectors and escape down through the grated openings It is to be understood that the heavy materials will subside in the current of water, so i that little or no loss will occur over the deflectors.

If auriferous sands are being operated upon, the floor a will be extended to the rear-any suitable distance, and be provided with pockets or riffles, into which the gold will be washed as the sand and refuse is carried off by the current of water.

In some instances large stones and bowlders are brought up by my submarine excavator, and these and other useless substances may be discharged directly into the water again by placing a semicircular range of inclined bars, h, Figs. 11 and 12, around the end of the chute adjacent to the upper end of the inductiontube, so as to arrest such useless substances and allow them to slide down the grating and fall to the bottom instead of going upon the sluice. These bars, however, do not interfere with the materials that are smaller being delivered by the current into the sluice. The

same effect may be accomplished by allowing the stones and large substances that are not to be saved to fall upon a grating, from which they are raked by hand to the ends of the bars and allowed to drop through an opening in the floor of the sluice, the same having a curb or ing a cast-iron rim of sufficient strength to prevent the tube being injured. 1

One'feature of the improvement inthe tube portion relates to the employment of one,two, or more jet-nozzles at one or opposite sides of the tube, as seen at k, Fig. 18. These are at an inclination, and the sides of the tube are enlarged or formed with tapering hoods where the nozzles are connected, so that the upward currentis indnced'by these jets; but the entire area of the tube is unobstructed, so that anything that will enter the mouth will be carried up and discharged. In my former apparatus the jet-pipe entering into the induction-tube lessened its capacity and sometimes caused the lodgment of an obstruction against such jet: pipe. One such jetfpipe may be used, but two are preferable.

It is important that the boring-jet be di: rected down as low as the bottom of the tube, and that the nozzle becapable of being turned so asto bore or excavate the material in advance of the tube, as said tube may be swung around horizontally. To effect this object the excavating jettube Z is passed through the flaring lower end of the induction-tube E, (see Fig. 6,) and provided with a curved nozzle, Z. In the tube Z there is a union-joint that allows the lower part, Z, of the tube Z to be partially turned, and there is a chain-wheel, Z, onthis tube, and chains 71 n pass up from this around the pulleys Z Z the ends of the chains n a being fastened to the wheel P, so that when the chain a is drawn upon to swing the boom K and the tube E around to the right the nozzle Z will be turned so that the exca. vatingfwater will act to loosen the materials that are to be drawn up by the current of water in the tube,and such materials will be loosened in front of the lower end of the induction-tube and in the direction in which such tube is be: ing swung. If the chain a is drawn upon to move the boom and induction-tube around the other way, the nozzle Z is first given a partial rotation, so that the water will be discharged to the left and will stir up the material to be excavated in advance of the moving end of the said tube E. In some cases the nozzle Ziwill be made in the shape of a rams horn, as seen in section, Fig. 19, and end view, Fig. 20,.and the same can revolve by the reaction of the water, and it will spread the water and cause it to act over a larger area than a stationary nozzle in loosening the material that is to be excavated.

Where a thin layer of hard material exists, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the lower end of the tube E should be supported thereby. To effect this object, I place out at the front of the said tube E a frame, 0, that carries a wheel, 0, which,

resting upon such hard crust or stratum, supports the tube E with its end against the edge of such layer. In order to break up such layer or crust, I make use of one or two vertically-reciprocating cutters, 8, each of which is preferably made of a steel point or chisel secured into the end of the cutter-bar s by being screwed thereinto and kept from turn ing by soft metal cast into recesses in the ends 7 of the cutter and cutter-bar where they come The framet for these retogether, as seen at 3. ciprocating cutters is upon the top of the tube E at the lower end. There are guides at t for the cutter-bars, and around each cutter-bar is a collar, against which a helical spring, t acts, the same being within the tubular caseit on the frame it.

There is to be a yielding bushing at a for the cutter-loar to pass through, the same being formed of a metal tube for the cutter-bar to run through, and arubble-tube between it and the frame If. This will lessen risk of injury in case the cutter strikes with a glancing blow upon a hard substance. The rubber cushion a, with ametal plate upon the top, is adapted to prevent injury in case the cutter strikes down where there is nothing for it to come in contact with. There are projections at a on the cutter-bar to rest upon the cushion at the extreme of the stroke.

In order to actuate the cutters, I make use of a wheel, 12, revolved by an endless chain, q, and this wheel 19 is upon a shaft in hearings in the frame t, and said wheel has at its sides tappet-wheels with tappets or lifters, i a}, that act within slots in the cutter-bars to lift them. (See section, Fig. 21.) These tappets are placed alternately, so that one cutter is raised as the other is being thrown down by its spring. Each tappet t is in the form ofa pivoted arm in a slot in the wheel, and there is a helical spring beneath each tappet occupying a recess provided for it, so that the concussion of the tappet with the cutter-bar will be lessened in consequence of such spring yielding as the pressure comes upon the cutter-bar to lift the same.

The endless chain to the chain-wheel P may be moved by any suitable means. I prefer and use pulleys q in the boom K, over which such endless chain passes to the driving-wheel g at the base of the boom. This boom is sup- .ported by the tripod-frame L and guy ropes,

and it turns at its base with the pivoted plate M, upon which the frame carrying the chainwheel q" is supported. I

The pulleys and belts represented form a convenient means for connecting the chainwheel to the driving-power. These parts,

however, may be varied to suit the floats and the location of the engine.

The induction-tube E may be suspended from the top part of its upper end, as shown in Fig. 11.

The chains q are preferably made of links in Figs. 13

or lowered by the chains or swung in either direction with th'e'boom. Suitable winch or Windlass barrels actuated by hand, or steam power are to be employed in operating these chains 01. n, as illustrated at a I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a hydraulic excavating apparatus, of two floats, an open sluice between said floats, an induction-tube extending out from one end of the sluice, a pivot for supporting and connecting the induction-tube and jet-tubes for excavating, and inductionjets of water, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with theinduction-tube, of an open sluice through which the water passes freely, means for supporting and moving the tube at the lower end, and a pivot at the upper end between the sluice and the induction-tube, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the sluice-box and induction-tube, of floats at each side of the slnice-boX, guide rails and wheels, and mech anism, substantially as set forth, for moving the sluice box longitudinally between the floats, substantially as set forth.

at. The two floats with a flooring between them forming a sluice that is open for the free discharge of water, in combination with an inductiontube at one end of the sluice, the said flooring being below the waterlevel, and up on which the solid materials brought up by the current of water through the inductiontube pass, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the induction-tube, floats, and sluice, of'an elevating-apron receiving the materials from the bottom of the sluice, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination,with theinduction-tube, of a movable s1uice-boX to which the induction'tube is attached, a stationary floor, the floats, and the elevator, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination,with the induction-tube and sluice, of the floats, an elevating-apron, the concentrators g, and the grated openings for the escape downwardly of water, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the floats, sluice- 130K, and e1evator-tube, of racks and gearwheels to move the sluice-box endwise, and the bevel gear-wheels and movablebevel-pinion, whereby either a forward or backward IOU -movement is imparted to the sluice-box, substantiallyas set forth. v

9. The combination, with the inductiontube, floats, and sluice, of an elevating-apron and a flap between the flooring of the sluice and the elevator, substantially as set forth.

? 10. The combination, with the floats and an open sluiceway between said floats, of an induction-tube, means for connecting the same at one end of the sluice, a range of bars upon which the materials from the induction-tube pass, and a downward-discharge opening for the larger pieces that lodge upon the bars, substantially as set forth,

11. The combination, with the floats and induction-tube,of a hinge at the upper end of the induction-tube, a sluice-boX upon which the water from the induction-tube passes, and a range ofinclined bars between the inductiontube and the sluice-box, there being a space for the free discharge downwardly of large substances arrested by the bars, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, in a hydraulic induction-tube, ofa flaring metal rim, a boring jet-- tube passing through such rim, and one or more water-nozzles introduced at the sides of the tube, and a hood at the junction of the nozzle and the tube, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. The combination, with the inductiontube, of a boring jet-tube that is parallel with the induction-tube and provided with a curved -end, and means for giving such tube a partial 15. The combination, with a submarine in-j duction-tube for excavating having its lower" end open, of mechanism for supporting'and moving such tube, and two'or more jet-nozzles at opposite sides of the induction-tube to induce an upward current andto allow'the induction-tube to be open from end to end and 1 unobstructed, substantially as specified.

16. The combination, with the induction-j tube, of two or more jet-nozzles at opposite sides of the induction-tube to induce an up ward current, and ajet-tube at the lower end} of the induction-tube to loosen the material to 5 be excavated, substantially as set forth.

ing such cutter, substantially as specified.

1s. The combination, with the indllCliOntube, of a frame at the lower end of such tube,

a reciprocating cutter-bar and cutters, a chain, 1

chain-wheel, and tappets, by means of which such cutters are moved, substantially as set forth.

19. The combination, with the inductiontube andit-s water-nozzles and supportingboom, of two chains passing from the lower end of the tube over pulleys on the boom, and

then diverging in opposite directions, and

means for acting upon such chains to raise or lower such tube or swing it in either direction, substantially as set forth.

' 20. In combination with the induction-tube and the water-jets thereof, an elevator for receiving the material discharged by the tube and raising such material out of the water,

substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 27th day of March, A. D.

ROY STONE.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, WVILLIAM G. MOTT. 

